Rival rallies face off across Sana’a

Order and peace maintained in Sana’a as rival camps demonstrated on Thursday. Security forces looked on from afar and followed orders to not become involved if peace was maintained.    
 Thousands of Yemenis in the capital Sana’a participated Thursday in eight  rival rallies, four by the opposition parties and four others  by the ruling party.  Parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held next April, was the main topic for all rallies of both sides.  The main slogans   of the opposition were, “No for unilateral procedures taken by the ruling party, no for elections, no for constitutional amendments proposed by the ruling party.”  While a large crowd gathered, a prominent politician demanded president Saleh to step down. “We are here to say enough, enough, the president should go,” said the opposition politician Mohammed al-Sabri, who attended the rally which was held nearby the house of the late Abdullah al-Ahmar, the head of the Islah Islamist party leading the protests, in al-Hasab area. GPC spokesperson Tariq al-Shami said that the JMP wants to postpone the elections because they do not have an agenda or a political program. “They do not want to take part in any election, even if the election law is amended according to their demands,” he said. Al-Jazeera correspondent Ahmed al-Shalfi commented that it seemed as though the Yemeni government has learned from the examples of Tunisia and Egypt and expressly forbid security forces from interfering in the protests if they remained peaceful. From their side, the ruling party rallies were chanting, “Yes for elections on time, no for violence and conspiracy against Yemen.” From their side, the ruling party, numbering in the thousands, rallies were chanting, “Yes for elections on time, yes for constitutional amendments, no for violence and conspiracy against Yemen.” No violence or riots broke out amidst the demonstrations but security measures were exceptional in the city as anti-riot forces were deployed in almost all areas where rallies were set to take place since early morningx. No violence or riots broke out amidst the demonstrations but security measures were exceptional in the city as anti-riot forces watched from afar in almost all areas where rallies were set to take place since early morning .  However, these rallies are not new. Both sides have been holding similar rallies over the last two weeks in the provinces outside Sana’a.  The two sides, the ruling party and opposition, were against each other in their slogans and demands except for one slogan which was used by the two sides in their slogans and speeches and statements: “Yes for dialogue”. The two sides have always called for dialogue but they failed and failed over and over again to make dialogue about the political and electoral reforms.   The ruling party seems to be determined to go to April’s polls even without participation of the coalition of the main opposition parties. The latter threatens to boycott the elections and take to streets instead.  The eight rallies held Wednesday, January 27th, 2011, in the same city, same time and almost same places, tell clearly that the street would be the theatre of all, opposition and ruling, to protest or clash,  if they did not reach an agreement. Next Saturday, January 29, 2011, President Saleh will meet with councilmen of ministers and the governors from all the country’s 22 provinces to discuss final preparations for parliamentary elections next April. The opposition parties announced early Wednesday, they would hold the four rallies in the four specified places.   The ruling party announced very late Wednesday it would hold also four rallies at the same time and almost same places. 

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